I followed the crowds across… This group are only walking around from Wilsham Road on the opposite bank.

The T-shirt reads “Blessed are the losers for they determine the winners.”

Hosted by the Rotary Club of Abingdon, the Dragon Boat Racing is now an annual event where as well as the races, there is a fun fair and lots of stalls.

Rotarians spend a lot of time and effort raising funds for charitable purposes. ‘Service above Self’ is the Rotary Club’s motto.

The starter is trying to get the boats in line at the start of a race.

The 40 feet long dragon boats were propelled by crews of 16 paddlers, many of them dressed to a theme. This is the cops and robbers team. Each boat was guided by a qualified helm and kept in rhythm by a drummer seated at one end.

Each team raced at least three times along a 250m course. The 12 fastest teams then competed in two finals.

The race shown here was the runners up final (the 7th to the 12th fastest). The boat winning at the half-way stage, ended up finishing last. There had been a colission and the judges made them rerun the race. This brings to mind the bible verse “He that would be first in the Dragon Boats will be last”

On the Market Place I span this wheel to see how trade justice treated the winners and losers. Apparently, I am very well treated by world trade, and consequently a winner, wheras people in some of the developing countries are losers.

Mooring at the Thames in Abingdon, and adjusting the aerial to get better reception. This chap tweeked the aerial five or six times, until eventually disappearing inside for good. Still it was the best FA Cup Final for years. West Ham 3 Liverpool 3.

The church of St Nicolas, next to the Market Place, is one of the oldest buildings in the town and one of the few remaining from Abingdon Abbey. The church was used by lay people connected to the Abbey, and dates from 1170 AD. The doorway has round norman arches.

In the 15th Century, the Abbey rebuilt the Abbey Gateway, which you can see alongside , and also added the church tower.

In the North Wall of the church this narrow lancet window survives from the original 1170 church.

You can see how thick the wall is, and how dimly the church would have been lit by such narrow windows.

Other windows have been replaced in later styles to let in more light.

The communion table was at one time the dining table of John Blacknall, an important benefactor of the church. The eagle was his motif, and the initials IB are on the bottom of each leg (latin has no letter J. The letter I is = J. Therefore IB probably stands for Ioannes (John) Blacknall.)

In the screened off vestry area beside the alter can be seen this carving, thought to have been rescued after the destruction of the Abbey. It depicts the crucifiction of Jesus Christ.

For a long time St Nicolas has been kept open for people who wish to go in and pray, or escape to a quiet place. However, it is now only opened when there is a volunteer to supervise. This is because, last year the organ was vandalised, causing £2,000 of damage. The lady who was supervising gave me a guided tour, and pointed out all the features pictured here. I hope I haven’t got too much mixed up.

On the choir stalls, etched into the wood, are various images of Green Men – a pagan image that the victorians liked and associated with resurrection. A Green Man is also to be found at St Helens.